Learn how to use your camera with confidence and discover the fundamentals of good photography. These courses are designed to help you gain an in-depth understanding of your camera and show you how to take stunning photographs in a variety of settings that will benefit your professional and social photography.

Constructed by experienced experts lessons and tutorials tend to be a mixture of practice learning and theory, packed full of tips and advice that is suitable for the novice and professional alike. They will help you to obtain the basic skills you need to get the best out of your camera and give any pictures you take a professional edge.

Remember that books alone can only teach you a certain amount whereas a practical hands on photography course at a institution of higher education can go a lot further in enhancing your technical ability and developing your visual and creative skills. A whole range of courses are available that are ideal for total beginners who want a qualification or experienced professionals who want to learn new specialist skills. These learning packages can quickly teach you how to create and develop images that you can be proud of by showing you everything you need to know about cameras, computers, digital equipment, and other photography related topics.

On a photography course you will be taught the do’s and don’ts of taking photographs, including how to;

  • Shoot professional looking photographs.
  • Master a cameras controls and settings.
  • Fine tune exposure.
  • Take photographs in a studio and outdoors.
  • Control background blur.
  • Take landscape, portrait and wedding shots.
  • Darken or lighten your images.
  • Develop and print black and white photographs.
  • Review your shots in a studio.
  • Download images from your camera.
  • Basic editing on a computer.
  • Control light.
  • Utilise motion and speed.

You will learn about

  • Photographic terminology and discover the meaning of technical jargon such as; shutter speed, aperture, white balance etc.
  • Creative manipulation.
  • The D-SLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera and how it works.
  • Apertures and shutter speeds.
  • How a darkroom can dramatically improve the quality of your photographs.
  • Which digital camera to but that will suit your needs.
  • Studio and outside lighting.
  • Albums and framing.
  • Posing and working with models.
  • Photographic accessories.
  • Choosing locations.
  • Image editing and retouching.
  • Complying with copyright legislation.
  •  Commissioning, publishing or exhibiting photography.
  • Picture research.
  • Exposure in depth.

Questions to ask about a photography course

  • Does the cost for the photography course include everything I need for the course, or will you have to purchase any extra digital equipment or study material etc?
  • Do I need any previous photography experience ?
  • What equipment will I need for the course i.e. a camera, zoom lens, memory cards etc.
  • What is the maximum number of students in each class (remember the bigger the class the less likely the tutor will be able to spend time with each student).
  • If you are a beginner then confirm that ‘jargon free’ explanations will be used (this can simplify what can be a complex subject).
  • How much practical, hands on activity will there be on the course?
  • What happens after I register for the course?
  • As it is a evening course is there any parking facilities for students?
  • Can I publish my pictures, sell them or put them on Flickr?
  • What camera do I need for the course and how many megapixels should it have?
  • What is the technical content of the course?
  • What certificate or qualification will I receive upon completion of the course?

Class structure
Evening classes tend to last about 3 hours at a time and course terms vary, with the average course lasting roughly 12 weeks.

The advantages of evening courses

  • They are ideal for anyone who has family, work or social commitments during the daytime.
  • Cost less than full time courses.
  • There are many employment opportunities for freelance photographers, these range from magazines and online site which all need photographs right through to people getting married and models wanting portfolios.

Photography terminology

Ambient Light
The available light completely surrounding a subject.
Aperture
The opening in a camera lens through which light passes to expose the film, the size of which is either fixed or adjustable.

Autofocus (AF)
The automatic System by which the camera lens focuses itself on a image or a selected part of a picture.

Backlighting
That light which comes from behind the subject and toward the camera lens.

Blowup
A negative or slide that has been enlarged.

Candid pictures
Photographs which are taken without the subjects knowledge.

Cropping
Removing or cutting outer parts of a picture or image to improve its framing.

Darkroom
An area (usually a lighttight room) used for loading and unloading film holders as well as processing film.

Double Exposure
This refers to two pictures being taken on one frame of film.

Existing light
Refers to natural and artificail light that exists at a scene.

Exposure meter
A piece of equipment that is similar to a light meter and measures the light that falls on a subject.

JPEG
Stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group and is a type of file format for images.

Resolution
This is a measure of the number of pixels there are on a sensor. Resolution is measured in “megapixels” or millions of pixels.

SD memory card
Secure Digital is a popular type of memory card.

SLR
Stands for Single Lens Reflex.

Stereoscopic photography
This is a way of producing 3D images from 2D photography.

Shutter speed
This is a term used to describe the exposure time and effective length of time that a camera’s shutter is open for.

TIFF
Stands for Tagged Image File Format.

Online degrees
Online degree courses
Online photography degree courses

Links to more short courses
Evening courses London
Evening classes London
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Part time degree courses
Short business courses London
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Part time language courses 
Evening English courses London
Evening language courses London
French evening classes London

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Photography courses
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